Revenue Department has asked 34,000 temples to conduct a slew of rituals

Under attack for failing to take timely steps to tackle the severe drought in Karnataka, the State government has now taken to propitiating the gods.

The Department of Revenue (Muzrai) has issued a circular to 34,000 temples under its control to conduct â€˜abhishekha,â€™ â€˜varuna mantra,â€™ â€˜jalabhishekhaâ€™ and several other rituals.

The circular has drawn flak from the Opposition, which has said the money meant for these rituals could have been allotted for relief work.

Issued on Thursday, the circular says the government is â€œconvincedâ€ that it is necessary to conduct these rituals in view of the severe drought, and â€œfor the welfare of people and cattle.â€

The government has sanctioned a maximum of Rs. 5,000 for each temple. This will amount to not less than Rs.17 crore. Temples in the A, B and C categories are expected to conduct the rituals on July 27 and August 2. The circular makes a particular mention of such prominent temples as Kollur Mookambika, Kukke Subrahmanya Swamy, Kateelu Durgaparmeshwari and Nanjangud Srikantheswara Swamy.

Speaking on the drought in the Assembly, Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Revanna criticised the way the government was spending its funds and urged it to ask the legislators to spend money from their own pockets on invoking the rain gods in their constituencies.

H.S. Mahadeva Prasad of the Congress and Putte Gowda of the JD(S) said the money meant for the rituals could be spent on providing water and fodder in villages.

This is not the first time the BJP government has directed public funds at promoting religious practices. The former Muzrai Minister, S.N. Krishnaiah Setty, had initiated the practice of sourcing Ganga jal (the Ganges water) from Haridwar for being distributed in temples during Shivaratri.

He continued this practice at his own expense after he resigned. He also ordered temples to conduct pujas every day for the â€œwelfareâ€ of the Chief Minister. And, with Jagadish Shettar taking over as Chief Minister, it was for the third time that homas and pujas were conducted in the offices of the Ministers.

Religion is a good business. You do not even notice that you are getting robbed, in fact you willingly decide to get exploited. This money could have saved some human lives, fighting chronic diseases in hospitals.

1. Revenue department already gets dozens of time more money from these temples so..
2. BJP govt should immediately relinquish control over temple treasury.

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Already many major temples released By Yeddyurappa when he was CM from control of Muzrai dept - famous Krishna temple in Udupi, temples in Gokarna, Ambalpady, etc. Cannot release Hindu temples from clutch of govt unless Hindu Charitable Act is repealed.

This is not the first time the BJP government has directed public funds at promoting religious practices. The former Muzrai Minister, S.N. Krishnaiah Setty, had initiated the practice of sourcing Ganga jal (the Ganges water) from Haridwar for being distributed in temples during Shivaratri.

Click to expand...

This would have been a genuine grouse had not the State Govt controlled/managed the temple assets running into tens of thousands of crores..

Revenue Department has asked 34,000 temples to conduct a slew of rituals

Under attack for failing to take timely steps to tackle the severe drought in Karnataka, the State government has now taken to propitiating the gods.

The Department of Revenue (Muzrai) has issued a circular to 34,000 temples under its control to conduct â€˜abhishekha,â€™ â€˜varuna mantra,â€™ â€˜jalabhishekhaâ€™ and several other rituals.

The circular has drawn flak from the Opposition, which has said the money meant for these rituals could have been allotted for relief work.

Issued on Thursday, the circular says the government is â€œconvincedâ€ that it is necessary to conduct these rituals in view of the severe drought, and â€œfor the welfare of people and cattle.â€

The government has sanctioned a maximum of Rs. 5,000 for each temple. This will amount to not less than Rs.17 crore. Temples in the A, B and C categories are expected to conduct the rituals on July 27 and August 2. The circular makes a particular mention of such prominent temples as Kollur Mookambika, Kukke Subrahmanya Swamy, Kateelu Durgaparmeshwari and Nanjangud Srikantheswara Swamy.

Speaking on the drought in the Assembly, Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Revanna criticised the way the government was spending its funds and urged it to ask the legislators to spend money from their own pockets on invoking the rain gods in their constituencies.

H.S. Mahadeva Prasad of the Congress and Putte Gowda of the JD(S) said the money meant for the rituals could be spent on providing water and fodder in villages.

This is not the first time the BJP government has directed public funds at promoting religious practices. The former Muzrai Minister, S.N. Krishnaiah Setty, had initiated the practice of sourcing Ganga jal (the Ganges water) from Haridwar for being distributed in temples during Shivaratri.

He continued this practice at his own expense after he resigned. He also ordered temples to conduct pujas every day for the â€œwelfareâ€ of the Chief Minister. And, with Jagadish Shettar taking over as Chief Minister, it was for the third time that homas and pujas were conducted in the offices of the Ministers.

Click to expand...

Instead of such rituals, our government should think of the future and start protecting forest. Also government should initiate afforestation programs immediately. Protecting lakes, planting trees & initiating afforestation is the only way ahead. India as a whole should have afforestation projects. Also all government initiated projects should be environmentally sustainable. Time is running out, government should act immediately instead of doing such rituals.

Rather than giving temple money to the govt. and do such large scale rituals (One temple was more than enough to pray for rain).....Rest of the temple funds should be used to Re-Convert the minorities and counter evangelist operations in India by building Schools, Colleges and Hospitals! Country will become stronger!